The present invention relates to an end fitting or termination for an optical fibre connector, comprising at least one substantially cylindrical locating sleeve in which is fixed an optical fibre. At the front end of the locating sleeve there is a contact free at which issues the fibre and in the vicinity of its opposite end there are means for positioning the sleeve in the end fitting, as well as means for orienting the sleeve.
It also relates to connectors equipped with such an end fitting or termination.
An end fitting of this type is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,664. The latter has a substantially cylindrical shape with two faces cut in V-like manner bearing on complementary surfaces in the female part of the connector. In order to adjust the alignment of the two optical fibres to be connected, said end fitting also has screws for the location of the fibre, permitting an alignment thereof.
The connectors of optical fibres produced with such end fittings have a certain number of disadvantages. The corresponding end fittings must be very accurately machined, which necessarily increases the production costs. Moreover, after connecting the male and female end fittings it is necessary to align the fibres by means of corresponding screws in order to obtain a minimum attenuation of the data transmitted by the connector. This operation is necessarily long and complicated. Finally such end fittings cannot be used for the simultaneous connection of a plurality of optical channels. Thus, the very small adjustment tolerances necessary for the connection of two end fittings are further reduced when a plurality of end fittings are to be simultaneously fitted and it is not possible at present to manufacture multi-channel optical fibre connectors using said end fittings and having acceptable performance levels.